Page 7 - Top MMA News and Mixed Martial Arts Headlines

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With less than one month to go, a headliner has been found for next month’s UFC 222.
UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg (18-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Invicta FC bantamweight champ Yana Kunitskaya (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is set for the March 3 pay-per-view event, a person with knowledge of the situation told MMAjunkie. The person spoke on a condition of anonymity because the bout has yet to be made official. The news was first reported by MMAFighting.com.
Also co-headlining the event is a featherweight title between ex-lightweight champ Frankie Edgar (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) and surging contender Brian Ortega (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who agreed to step in for injured champ Max Holloway (19-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC). Edgar-Ortega will be a title eliminator, not an interim title fight.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White loves to collect weapons.
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But aside from decorating his office, the Las Vegas-fight boss is also building a weapons room inside his nearby residence, which appears to be in dire need of a sword. Well, at least a sword of importance. And since Excalibur is probably off the table, White went with Plan B.

Nate Diaz has broken his silence about the specific next steps in his career.
Now “The Ultimate Fighter 5” winner and fan-favorite has publicly said his plans, and they include a championship showdown with UFC welterweight titleholder Tyron Woodley (18-3-1 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) this year.

Back in November, a crazy rumor made the headlines stating that current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley was in talks to face Nate Diaz at UFC 219. Despite “The Chosen One” confirming, UFC president Dana White chalked it up to fake news.
A few months later, the talks have ignited, as Woodley recently revealed that the fight has actually been offered to the Stockton slugger, and if he had to bet his house on it, Tyron says his next bout will be against the scrappy striker.

A welterweight matchup has been added to the UFC’s return to the Lone Star State.
UFC officials today announced that Josh Burkman (28-16 MMA, 6-11 UFC) will face Alex Morono (13-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 126, which takes place next Sunday at Frank Erwin Center in Austin.

The John Dodson vs. Pedro Munhoz bout will happen, after all.
After the two were supposed to meet last weekend at UFC Belem, the bout is now back on for UFC 222 on March 3 in Las Vegas, MMA Fighting confirmed Tuesday with the UFC.

If you still haven't bought a ticket, you might want to see how this plays out.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will likely give top featherweight contender Brian Ortega the chance to steal Frankie Edgar’s 145-pound title shot when the promotion airs its live event on Sat., March 3, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
But the jury is still out on whether it will remain the UFC 222 pay-per-view (PPV) event, or be converted into a “Fight Night” card on FOX Sports 1, with Edgar-Ortega as the five-round headliner.
The latest from Helwani,

Invicta FC has announced the complete fight card for its event March 24.
Headlined by the previously announced clash between Janaisa Morandin and Virna Jandiroba for the vacant strawweight belt, Invicta FC 28 will be co-headlined by Mizuki Inoue vs. Milana Dudieva.
The Invicta card will take place at the Union Event Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Carls John de Tomas is going to have to wait a while for another shot at his first UFC win.
The 21-year-old has accepted a one-year suspension after testing positive for furosemide in an in-competition drug test tied to his bout at UFC Fresno in December, the USADA announced Monday. Furosemide appears on the banned substances list of “Diuretics and Masking Agents” and is prohibited year-round.

Another UFC fighter has fallen victim to a contaminated supplement.
UFC welterweight Jim Wallhead has accepted a nine-month suspension after failing an Oct. 7 out-of-competition drug test for ostarine and its metabolite as the result of a contaminated supplement, USADA announced Tuesday.

A heavyweight clash between Alexey Oleynik and Junior Albini is set for the company’s upcoming pay-per-view card in Rio de Janeiro on May 12, MMA Fighting has confirmed following a report by MMA Today.

Mario Yamasaki was heavily criticized after the flyweight bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Priscila Cachoeira for not stopping the fight sooner and allowing “Pedrita” to take unnecessary damage. Cachoeira was submitted in the second round.
In a statement sent to MMA Fighting on Monday night, the Brazilian referee responded to the criticism, admitting that he could have stopped the fight on several occasions - when Shevchenko had the mount and also the second time Cachoeira was trapped in a crucifix. He also discussed the criticism he’s received online, including Dana White’s Instagram post.
Check the full statement below.

A bantamweight matchup between a fighter in real need of a win and an undefeated promotional newcomer has been added to UFC on FOX 28.
UFC officials today announced that Albert Morales (7-3-1 MMA, 1-3-1 UFC) will face Manny Bermudez (10-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at the Feb. 24 event, which takes place at Amway Center in Orlando. The night’s main cards and prelims air on FOX following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Be careful what you wish for, Eryk Anders. After his last win, the American middleweight called out Lyota Machida in his home country of Brazil. In the end, Machida emerged with a split-decision victory over Anders in the main event of UFC Fight Night 125 in Belem, Brazil.
Performance Bonuses - Valentina Shevchenko & Iuri Alcantara
Fight Of The Night - Thiago Santos vs Anthony Smith

If it were up to Dana White, Mario Yamasaki would never referee another UFC fight again.
The UFC president took to social media to slam Yamasaki for what many thought was an egregiously late stoppage in the UFC Belem co-main event fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Priscila Cachoeira on Saturday night in Brazil.

Conor McGregor’s new nickname may as well be Mr. Rub Salt in the Wound.
Just hours after UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced to pull out of his UFC 222 title defense against Frankie Edgar on Saturday due to a leg injury, McGregor fired an extra shot at his former foe over social media, mocking Holloway with an Instagram photo from the Irishman’s 2013 decision win over “Blessed.”